Remember Richard Burton, the British explorer, not the actor. He had the same comments about Africa as you do. He talked about the despots who became kings, emperors and rulers who ruled with a heavy, cruel hand.
Reading about it was eye opening.
Oh Bunny! Great citing...
Fascinating guy, Burton...love the movie “Mountains of the Moon” so read up on Burton awhile back. A true adventurer who, though British, did not suffer from Brit arrogance and condescension. Big into sex, too, from what I’ve read...
(That ought to get some attention here.)
Western art, architecture, music, mathematics, exploration, engineering - we are told again and again that this culture was "inferior" while those who were slaughtering and torturing one another, writhing in paganism and the occult, were "superior."